My Cowboy Prince (*unedited)

Chapter 24

Luke's POV

I sit in the darkened living room of the ranch house, the only light here is from the soft glow of my phone screen. The house is quiet--- too quiet. I can't stop replaying the conversation with Amelia in my head, the way her voice was shaking with anger and hurt is heartbreaking to say the least. I can still hear the edge in her tone, the way she whispered the accusation like it was too heavy to say out loud. My chest tightens just thinking about it.

I want nothing more than to jump in my Jeep and drive over there, bang on her door until she lets me in, and explain everything face-to-face. But I know her. She's too intense right now, too emotional. If I show up it could make things worse. Hell, I might wake up everyone in the damn house and turn this into an even bigger mess.

So, I do the only thing I can: I pull up her contact on my phone and hit the record button. I've got to get this right. My thumb hovers over the screen for a second, the weight of what I'm about to say settles over me. Finally, I take a deep breath and start talking.

"Amelia, it's me. Look, I know you're hurtin' right now, and God knows I never wanted to be the one to cause you pain. But you gotta know, I wasn't playin' you. I wasn’t just lookin' for a good time. I care about you, more than I can even put into words."

I pause, running a hand through my hair. I can feel the frustration gnawing at me. The silence of the house feels suffocating and the weight of my words are heavy in the air. I need her to understand that this wasn't some game to me.

"I should've told you about Mandoline, I know that. I wanted to, but I didn’t want to make things harder for you. You've been workin' so damn hard to keep this place runnin', to help out and I didn't want to add more pressure. I thought… I thought maybe we could just have this time together, without all that hangin' over us."

I let out a slow breath, trying to keep my voice steady, but it's hard. The idea of her thinkin' I was just usin' her twists my gut. I need her to hear the truth in my voice, to know that what we had--- what we still have--- is real.

"I wasn't usin' you, Amelia. Not for one second. I've never felt like this about anyone. You're different. You're special to me, and I wouldn't mess with that. I wouldn't mess with you."

My voice softens, it's filled with the regret and guilt that's been gnawing at me since she hung up. I'm usually in control, I can usually keep a cool head, but right now, I'm barely holding it together.

"Please, darlin', don't shut me out like this. Let's talk tomorrow, okay? I’ll come by, we'll sit down, and I'll tell you everythin'. Just… don't leave thinkin' I don't care. 'Cause I do. More than I ever thought possible."

I hit send but my thumb lingers over the screen as if I could somehow reach through the phone and hold onto her. The emptiness in the room feels like a reflection of the emptiness inside me. I lean back against the couch and just stare at the ceiling, my mind races with all the possible outcomes to this.

Tomorrow, I'll go to her. I'll make her listen. I can't let her walk away thinkin' this was all a lie. I won't let her go without a fight. It's just a very big misunderstanding.

But for now, all I can do is sit here, alone in the quiet of the ranch house, with nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. I close my eyes and the image of her face--- the way she looked at me tonight, with so much love--- burned into my mind.

"Please," I whisper to the darkness. My voice is barely audible even to myself. "please don't give up on us."

×××××××

The smell of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon wafts through the air as I step into the kitchen, my footsteps are heavy with the weight of the morning. I didn't sleep a damn wink last night, my mind kept running in circles, replaying every word and every look from Amelia. I kept hoping she'd text me back, that she’d give me a sign that we could talk this through, but the silence was deafening.